Patient left in hallway for days at Kelowna General Hospital

Overcrowding at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) has led to an uncomfortable stay for a Cranbrook man. Shawn Ponte, 38, took to social media to plead for help while spending five days in the hallway.

He was moved to a hospital room Wednesday afternoon after media interviews about his case.

The hospital admitted the lengthy hallway stay was not ideal but said all Ponte’s medical needs were met.

Hospital administration said Ponte has been receiving treatment in the hallway because KGH is over capacity. Wednesday there were around 40 more patients than beds in the 407 bed hospital.

The Cranbrook man is living with kidney disease. He was air lifted to KGH when his dialysis catheter became infected.

“It has been a gong show ever since because I’ve been stuck in the hallway,” said Ponte on Wednesday morning.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It has been a gong show ever since because I've been stuck in the hallway," said Ponte on Wednesday morning.

From his hallway hospital bed Ponte has been posting videos on social media showing his surroundings and the sound of a staff call bell going off.

“This is the dinging I have to deal with for over an hour every day,” said Ponte in one of the videos posted to Facebook. “It is making me go bonkers.”

In the latest video, posted Tuesday, Ponte said his mental state had declined.

“Please contact whoever is out there that is willing to help me,” said Ponte in the video.

“Even if you are in a hallway though you’re receiving the right care that you require from a medical standpoint,” said Andrew Hughes, health service administer at KGH.

“It is not optimal. We don’t want patients in hallways.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It is not optimal. We don't want patients in hallways."

Ponte questioned why he was taken to KGH in the first place when it is overcrowded.

The hospital said Ponte was transferred to the care of a specialist in Kelowna at the request of a doctor in Cranbrook.

“The physician would be requesting the care of Kelowna General Hospital for his medical condition at the time,” said Hughes.

Hughes said such a lengthy hallway stay was quite uncommon. Hughes said Ponte did spend the first evening in a common room before being moved to the hallway.